So this movie kinda rules! So many great moments with a fun score and amazing practical effects! Also, it has one of the saddest death scenes in a children's movie I think I have ever watched. Would have been scarred watching this one as a child. Also, will not be watching part 2. Thanks for watching! Have a great day! :)
The book "the never ending story" is written by the german author Michael Ende, who also wrote "Momo". It is a very loved book in Germany. The german director Wolfgang Petersen, who directed this movie also directed "Das Boot", could you please react to it 🙏 The white dragon Fuchur and the U Boot are still exhibited in the museum of the bavaria film studios in Munich, Germany.
Each challenge faced in Atreyu's story is a metaphor for the things that keep someone from growing as a person. Considering that this was based on the first half of the novel, you would probably enjoy reading the book. Its author was interested in Anthroposophy, a German offshoot of Theosophy.
I was 8 when this came out and I saw it in theaters. At 46 I can report that yes, Artex the horse’s death scarred me for life. It’s been an inside joke for us GenXers for decades. I’m glad young stranger things fans loved “never ending story” song plot - but that shit went deep for some of us who already knew the lyrics and belted along with Dustin on the first watch.
Actually, alot of people get the lyrics wrong, including Kids, Inc. and Most Google searches and these two girls who covered it on UA-cam and many other people covering it on UA-cam, the correct line is "Given in The lines"(Neverending Story book lines), yet alot of people incorrectly say "given in the lies, which makes no sense, cuz there are no lies in the movie, even G'mork speaks only the truth. Kids, Inc. incorrectly sang the line as "given in your eyes" or some shit like that, both incorrect lyrics are dumb, especially since with the next line, the correct lyrics are: "Given in the Lines- Written on The Pages". Now THOSE are the correct lyrics and make sense! (Given in The lines = given in the book lines), so written on the pages is the perfect follow up. Written on the pages makes no sense as a fallow up to the false lyrics! Given in the lies, written on the pages makes NO SENSE! NEITHER DOES "given in your eyes, written on the pages". You had ONE JOB, PEOPLE!
So many reactors don't get this movie because it's old. It was cool to see someone appreciate the practical effects and actually follow the really unique writing.
Steven Spielberg was given the original Auryn prop by director Wolfgang Petersen as a "thank you" gift for his help with the film! It hangs in a glass display in Steven Spielberg's office!
Saw this as a kid (have it on dvd now), around 6 or 7 years old, and yes probably the same as everyone else that saw it at that age, I bawled when Artax died. It was traumatising. Still when I watch it now, as a grown ass man, I still choke up a bit at that scene. Gets me right in the feels, every time. Love the movie and the soundtrack is awesome 80s goodness
I love watching reactions to this movie for an added layer of meta. Bastian is reading Atreyu's adventure... you're watching Bastian's adventure... and we're watching YOUR adventure. In the end, we're all playing a part in one huge Neverending Story. Also, I don't recall the exact details, but the film was based on a German book, and as such was a co-production with Germany and filmed on studios there. As such, there's actually a small 'museum' you can visit in Germany about the making of the movie, where you can even get a photo taken riding on Falkor's back. Not gonna lie, it's on my bucket list to go there someday and get that picture.
and somewhere, someone may be watching our story. we can only hope the marvel achieves this level of meta. the potential is there. this was also done well by alan moore in his comic Promethea (not for kids at all).
Actually, it's a 100% German production ;) They filmed in English for the international release and it's only then that Warner came on board.(too few German films to be proud of so forgive me for insisting😂)
Giorgio Moroder is an Italian composer and is the “father of disco.” He’s 82 years old and has worked with everyone from Daft Punk to Donna Summer. His work with synthesizers is legendary. And yes, when that song came on the radio (when I was in Kindergarten in 1985) it really did bop!
He also composed the Cool Tower theme and the Sinking Horse theme (while Klaus Doldinger wrote the Horse-Riding theme). Moroder did some of his best movie work in '84-'85, with this, his rescoring of "Metropolis", the Top Gun songs, and "Electric Dreams", which hasn't been seen in North America since the days of VHS.
I have no qualm with Giorgio Moroder, and I like synth music, but I am German and I grew up with the German soundtrack, which is composed by Klaus Doldinger. Especially his piece for the Ivory Tower is far better in my opion, check out the German soundtrack here: ua-cam.com/video/Kt_aDjNHd9E/v-deo.html I guess it's a case of "get them young" and what you got used to when watching it first.
I was 10 when this opened in cinemas. And I can assure you, this movie touched an entire generation. Two sequels were made, but they never meassured up to the original. Still, today, this movie gets to all my emotions. And yes, it was on of the most expensive movies of its time. It was a co-production that involved artists and actors from several European countries. It remains a masterpiece to this day.
somebody uploaded these behind the scenes on the set and the puppeteers controlling the wolf are mouthing his dialogue all in character as theyre moving him. its really creepy and wonderful to see.
We can call the 2nd movie a not-as-good sequel, but the third one does not deserve that much credit. It is a travesty that should be forgotten and never associated with "The Neverending Story". As far as I'm concerned the only thing of note about that 'film' is that it is one of Jack Black's earliest movie roles.
The third movie okay at best. The switching up the continuity near the end was stupid. Didn't really care for the 2nd one. Loved the music on this one. I'm 35 and still hate seeing Artex die
One of my favorite movies as a kid. Made my dad take me to see it a million times in the theatre. Also, made him take me to see The Last Unicorn over and over. You should react to that film. It's great.
My dad took me to Howard the Duck ... over and over again. [At my request. Loved it. I swear we made up half the national box office on it. :P ] We're strange ones... But, still one of my favorites. Should totally react to that one, too... ;) It's a ... guilty pleasure.
This is a movie that did not do well in the box office but found it's audience when it was released on the home video market. I worked in a video store when it was released and we wound up having to have 5 VHS copies and 3 Beta copies as well as laser disc to satisfy the demand for it. At the time it cost $59. per tape to have a movie on the shelf and all the copies made money for us.
It was the first movie that our family rented in 1985 when we got our first VCR. In fact, I think that my dad bought the VCR at the rental store and rented the movie at the same time. He tried to talk me into renting Raiders of the Lost Ark, but this movie's box art, with a kid flying a hairy creature, appealed more to me.😂
@kennethlee494 Incorrect! It only didn't do so well in Germany. It cost 27 million to make and only made 25 million in Germany, but it made 100 million in America. Therefore it made 98 million dollars, which is a success! DUH!
I saw this movie in the theater when I was 6 years old. I've watched a couple reactions to it and the Artax scene still gets me every single time. Tears. Rock Biter also.
I saw this movie at the cinema when I was 7 and it completely blew my mind. It was scary, thrilling, moving and the story and the music just a perfect movie experience. A lot of the meta concepts of course went over my head, but this has only made me appreciate the movie even more as I got older. And yes, the Swamps of Sadness scene was completely devastating and Gmork was terrifying. It's just sad that kiddie movies aren't as smart and engaging like this anymore.
This movie along with Flight of the Navigator, Willow, Gremlins, E.T., Princess Bride, Gremlins and Labyrinth were on constant rotation with my boys when they were growing up. I had an accident and when I woke up in the hospital the orthopedic surgeon looked like the old man that gives the luck dragon his shot. Freaked me out.
I was only 10 years old when i first saw this movie in the theaters. When the horse Artex died, for many of us it was our first experience with death on an emotional level. So many 80s kids still think of his death as a traumatic experience.
Bro I’m just like you about the music, classic movies like this from like the 80s and 90s that I watched as a kid as well as see them now, the music when done well will give me chills and I love it. The scores of these older film are amazing.
This movie has an unusual style that I realized was because it was filmed in Europe. We were living in Germany at the time this came out, (Army Brat). This film has strong European influences. Very nostalgic for me :D
The story is indeed very meta-not only are we watching Bastian reading about Atreyu’s adventures, but since you made this video, I am watching you watching Bastian reading about Atreyu’s adventures. You have thus become just as much a character in the larger story as Bastian or Atreyu.
i love how meta this movie was :P glimpsing the reader in the snow storm, and bastien looking up. just so many chills. then entering a cave where there are paintings of your past adventures. then one last painting depicting what you haven't encoutnered yet O_O still scares the crap out of me.
Funny that you said you want to hug Falkor; the dragon was part of the studio tours in Munich and children were allowed to ride on it in front of a blue-screen. I was one of many many children to sit on this thing.
I'm 42, and I got chills the first time I heard that music too. I still do, right along with you :) And yes, the death of Artax scarred me and many of my generation for life. At least he returned when Bastian fulfilled his part of the prophecy though :) This film, along with Willow and Labyrinth, made me a lifelong reader of fantasy novels :)
I love the Neverending story specifically because of, as you say, it being "so sad at times" - it's basically Baby's First Intro to Suicidal Depression and Dangerous Nihilism. It handles some of the heaviest topics that a story can handle with such care and maturity and never talks down to kids, while still teaching them an incredibly important lesson about life and the world. Really a movie with some cojones.
This is a hidden gem of a movie. Awesome music, emotions all over the place. And the final sequence when she says, just as he has been with you, others are watching him,,,😮 . I don't think it hit big but is almost always loved by people who discover it. The horse is Falcore, always a few years seeing that.
My favourite childhood movie. Great memories of this, and yes Artex scarred us all back then. Great soundtrack, story and immensely quotable. There's a hilarious video on UA-cam with the actors who play the bullies reprising their roles years later talking to a psychiatrist about when they were chased down the street by a dragon.
No movie made me cry as hard as this one. I was 10 when it came out, and it destroyed me. My father was actually mad that this was a "kid's" movie because he felt it dealt with stuff too dark for kids. It took me going through it in my 30s to understand that the swamp of sadness was actually a metaphor for deep depression. How hard it is to do anything , how the smallest act becomes this mountain to climb and how easy it is to sink deeper and deeper into it. So yeah, as an adult, I can now see what he meant. However, this movie also gave me my love of reading. It gave me permission to always stay goofy and have fun and when someone looks at me funny because I race my godchildren or because I still act like a child when i see BB8 at Comicon, I just look back at them and literally say "I'm saving Fantasia". Amazing movie, and I loved your reaction
The most Meta Commentary in this movie is the fact; that while Bastion is reading the story, we are watching Bastion's story unfold as well. The Neverending story is one we all share in; which hints at the idea even we are being watched, and so on! So the story goes on and on and on! I'm glad you noticed the Luck Dragon's breathing. I didn't at first, but over multiple watches did I noticed it. This is a great movie, and one I showed the kids when they were young as well. The movies I go back over with the kids were this one, Secret of Nihm, Star Wars Trilogy, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Animalympics, and a this little musical called Bugsy Malone. It's an all-children cast gangster movie; which is a ton of fun. If you can find it; I truly suggest watching it. I have a copy of both Animalympics (which was re-released recently), and Bugsy Malone. Also; the Rankin and Bass versions of The Hobbit and Return of the King from the Lord of the Rings series
I've never seen a children's movie so philosophical in nature. I mean a kid's movie where the enemy is the VOID? Come one! I wish more children's writers and kids movies today gave children more credit for intellectual depth.
How I found this movie: I follow the Sharpe Family Singers and one day they put out The Neverending Story song as a "Stranger Things Cover". Then I watched the Stranger Things scene with Dustin and Suzie singing the song. I loved the song and wondered what the original was like. When searching for the original I then came across a HD Film Tribute with the song and a compilation of shots from the movie. Because of that, I wanted to see the movie and I ended up watching it 2 times. And all of that happened within about 2 weeks.
"just as he is sharing your adventures, others are sharing his" giving credence to the audience watching the film :P I LOVE THAT, the first time i saw that, my mom went "Nooooo!" in disbelief. it was magic :P
As part of my job, I got to show this movie to a class of about thirty kids. They loved it. I'm not sure why no one seems to show older movies to kids nowadays. If you loved it as a kid, modern kids will probably love it to. When I was a kid, my mom used to show me the Shirley Temple movies that she had watched in her childhood, and I really enjoyed them. There are so many movies already in existence that we could stop making movies for the next thirty years, and still not run out of good things to watch. It's straight-up wasteful to only watch new things. Side note: I was on a bus a few years ago, and a mom called out to her son, "Atreyu, sit down!" Made me wonder how many kids in the US and Europe are named Atreyu. Or by now, some must be adults.
Another great reaction, Ollie! Of the handful of reaction channels that I follow, yours is now tied with one other as my favorite. Your reactions to some of my all-time favorite titles is a genuine joy to watch and often remind me of why I love them so much, especially if I haven't watched them myself in a long while. The Neverending Story has been one of my all-time favorite movies from childhood and your take-aways from it are so very relatable! Again, another great reaction! I now look forward to your reactions every week! 😉👍
I was 6 when this film came out in theaters and can attest to crying at the loss of Artax and the entire film definitely is etched into my memory really well both for the scary aspects as well as the fantastical. Knowing it was based on a book did make me go and actually read the book later on. And the book is ... intriguing. I don’t know how to really describe it since it feels like a book that’s kind of its own thing. The film only covers the first parts of the book. The second film kinda covers part of the next section of the book, but isn’t as faithful to the book as the first one and the third film which was a direct to VHS film the producers admit they just made up and didn’t bother to even read the book. I don’t mind the second film because it stars Jonathan Brandis who is an actor I enjoyed watching in several films. The third film, however, even Jason James Richter couldn’t save with all of his talent! By the way if you’re interested in a great film Barret Oliver did (he is Bastian in this film) then you should watch D.A.R.Y.L. He was nominated for a Saturn Award for his role in that film and its a film that had me emotional, too. I think he’s also in the Cocoon movies as I think that’s why I wanted to watch them (or maybe it’s a different child actor), but I honestly don’t remember those films very well. I think my parents enjoyed them more than I did (I’m not saying they’re bad, I honestly just don’t remember much about them other than the basic plot). But yeah I’d recommend D.A.R.Y.L. If you wanted to watch Jonathan Brandis (who plays Bastian in the sequel) the films Ladybugs and Sidekicks are probably his most memorable, although he did play Lucas on the tv show SeaQuest DSV (the first season is great, the second season is good if you don’t get bored with “monster of the week” type of sci-fi, and the third season is mixed between good and okay). If you can find the book The Neverending Story and have time to read, I’d recommend it only because it’s definitely a different type of book to read and has the same meta aspects the film does. Great video and review! Oh I have a coworker who she and her husband enjoyed the book and films so much that their son is named Atreyu! So the book and/or films have certainly had an impact on lots of folks to varying degrees!
I was a kid in the 80s and watched this movie when it came out. The horse scene destroyed me. But now, as a middle aged man, I actually enjoy peoples reaction to this scene and just laugh my ass off 😂
Saw this in the theater when it came out and still watch it to this day. The title song and sound track always are stuck in my head. Also we named our cat Atreyu 😊
Imagine seeing this at 5 years old, that horse scene hit hard. And the wolf was really scary 😭 But the soundtrack is so unapologetically 80s synth and I love rocking out to it 😆
Thanks, Oliver! 📖 I was 16 when this one came out... it was very popular. #RolyPolyOllie #WolfgangPetersen #TheNeverendingStory #TheNeverendingStory1984
This was an iconic film from my childhood. The music, the fantasy, the characters ❤I was a major bookworm as a kid so this just elevated the magic of reading to the next level. Because we were little, my parents recorded it from tv and edited out the “scary” parts with the wolf 😅 I have vivid memories of walking into the video store as a kid and seeing the Neverending Story poster with Atreyu and Falcor … whenever I see it now it it’s like going back in time! Great reaction and commentary at the end. Glad you liked it!
Welcome to the world of Fantasia! I find it oddly coincidental that your review comes out now, because after almost 40 years I have an Auryn of my own -- one I made on a 3D printer. I even made a puzzle out of it! It was magic when I first put it together.
"Puts hand up" - 44 year old here who saw this in the cinema back in '85. I don't know anyone of my age who didn't love it. It hits harder in some ways now as an adult, as you understand the entirely intentional subtext of some of the themes presented, especially in the Swamps of Sadness. But there is much hope there too. If I had kids I'd have no hesitation of showing them this when they were just about old enough to handle it, as there are multiple great messages for young people in this. The original book by Michael Ende however, is an ENTIRELY different prospect. But I'll not get into that here. Enjoyed your reaction as always. :)
Another score by Giorgio Moroder is form "Midnight Express" another movie you should watch but the score is awesome. When I saw Neverending Story at the theater I was just expecting a little kids movie but was so surprised at the intricate plot and really appreciated how the story proceeded. I was an adult back then so it didn't scare me but I could appreciate how children would experience it.
The idea of the Neverending Story is something along the lines on... Bastian is experiencing Atreyu's story, but also we as an audience are experiencing Bastian's story. And to go a step further, we're experiencing _your_ story as you react to the film...! It's stories all the way down.
I haven't seen this movie since I was about 10 years old, over 30 years ago. I didn't remember the horse drowning, but always remembered those statues that shot lightning bolts out of their eyes.
It was an experience when your a child. I was 7 years old. It was scary, thrilling, sad and exciting. It was amazing time. All the deaths we're very sad, obviously. To see the the Nothing destroy Fantasia was scary. The horse's death was very devastating. It's the part of the movie that stays with me & us!
I recently met the actor Noah Hathaway, who played Atreu. He was also a tattoo artist. I also picked up the extended version which is not available in the U.S.
"Bastian. Why don't you do what you dream, Bastian?" "But I can't, I have to keep my feet on the ground!" "Call my name. Bastian, please! Save us!" "All right! I'll do it! I'll save you! I will do what I dream! ... MOONCHILD!" Fun Fact: The original Auryn for this film now hangs in an enclosed glass display in Steven Spielberg's office. Luck Dragon Fact: Falkor is actually a 43-foot long motorized creature with 6,000 plastic scales and pink feather-fur. His head is three feet tall and long and has a long tongue in the mouth. You can "ride" on Falcor's back on location at the Bavaria Filmpark in Munich, Germany. Authentic Battle Scars Fact: Noah Hathaway was hurt three times during the making of the movie. While learning to ride a horse, his horse threw him off, then stepped on him. While shooting the Swamp Of Sadness drowning sequence, his leg got caught on the elevator and he was pulled under water. He was unconscious by the time he was brought to the surface. Noah Hathaway then almost lost an eye during the fight-scene versus Gmork. One of the claws on his giant paws poked him in the face. The robot was also so heavy that he lost his breath as well when he was hit to the ground by it. They only made one shot due to the risk that he would get seriously wounded. Noah Hathaway now owns and operates a tattoo parlor in Los Angeles, California (as far as I know) with his wife and he loves talking to fans of the movie.
Another dark 80s movie is Return to Oz! It's kind of a sequel to the Wizard of Oz but hella dark, like it BEGINS with Dorothy being taken for shock treatments because she won't shut up about a place called Oz 💀and gets even more wild from there. Cool practical and stop motion effects too!
Awesome! I hope this starts a Jim Henson Sci-fi series! The Dark Crystal (1982), Labyrinth (1986) and Mirror Mask (2005)! The Jim Henson company made a lot of Muppet Movies in between these great sci-fi movies 👍
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid in the 80s. That was such a great time for darker kids' movies with great practical effects. I also suggest Return to Oz, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
It was a modest success in the US (although it was revised and re-edited for the American market) but very successfull worldwide. The budget was around 25 - 27 million Dollars (converted) and it grossed a total of around 100 million Dollars through it's theatrical run. It was a German / American co-production, filmed in English. The Falcor puppet can still be seen at the Bavaria Filmstudios in Munich.
Enjoyed the reaction! I saw this film in theaters when I was a kid, and yes, the Artax scene did scar me for life. Now that you've done this film, you should review "Legend" (1985), another great 1980s fantasy film with a synth 1980s score!
With the extended edition! There are scenes that should never be missed! Also, Tim Curry as Darkness is amazing. And Oona has always been my favorite character ever!
It actually had two sequels but most of us try to forget the third one even existed. Just in case you wanted to know, the name he gives the Childlike Empress is "Moonchild".
Been a while since I read the book, but they explain that Atreyu has to leave his weapons because he's acting as an ambassador of sorts for the Empress, and her whole deal is that she doesn't actually need to "rule" over Fantastia per se because she has more of a god sort of role - each and every creature is equally worthy in her eyes, no matter how ugly or beautiful etc. And as they say the Auryn protects anyway (that's why he doesn't succumb to the swamps even when Artax dies). This movie actually ends about halfway through the book, and you get a lot more exploration of the themes of self-worth with Bastian in Fantasia in the second half, more of a satisfying ending than this one.
The symbolism for the book and movie being the Nothing about how adults feared children were losing Imagination due to television and video games instead of using your own Imagination when reading. In all honesty being an adult now I sort of get where parents could have those worries however I know for my own love of books now compared to when I was a young kid that it can't be forced into someone. My dad was a teacher and always tried to get me to read books like "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and even though I did read it, I just couldn't find the enjoyment in reading because I was being forced to rea. I personally believe there is a point when a person finds themselves ready for the enjoyment of reading due what may be going on. For me it was when I was in grade 12 on a trip to Toronto that I went every March break with my parents for my dad's meetings when all the stuff from the previous years just wouldn't do it for me anymore and I was bored out of my mind. Me and my mom went down to the Eaton Centre and to the Coles Books store and I just wanted something to read and my mom just grabbed a random fantasy novel off the shelf without any knowledge what it was about. It was a Terry Brooks novel "The First King Of Shannara". I read the back and gave it a try and became hooked on reading thanks to that book. I was at a point in my life and why I believe it can't be forced onto someone.
Fun Stuff about this Movie: 1. There are many layers to the name of Bastian. First of all, it's a short form of Sebastian. Sebastian means "of Sebaste," which was a city in Asia Minor, and the name Sebaste comes from a word meaning "venerable." Venerable means "accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character." So, Bastian's name is a clue to his narrator status of the Neverending Story, and he's like their god. He's a very noble child and because he believed in himself and continued to dream, he gave the Childlike Empress a new name--his mother's name of Moonchild, which was kind of hard to hear unless you put on the subtitles--and he saved not just her and all of Fantasia, but also himself. 2. The reason the Golden Sphinxes didn't destroy the horse the knight rode on was because the horse was innocent. The horse wasn't the one challenging the sphinxes' power. The knight was and he got what he deserved for being a pompous, arrogant jerk. 3. The fear you see in Artax's eyes when he's sinking is real. The horse, of course, doesn't understand what's going on and is rightfully afraid. In its own mind, he really was going to die. 4. The voice of Morla I think is perfect, it's so old and ancient sounding, that it's very hard to tell if it is a male or female turtle. Fascinating choice of casting for the voice actor. 5. I'm pretty sure, given the fact that this was Fantasia, I don't think G'mork was a regular wolf. He could talk, so therefore, a werewolf. Pretty sure that also means the Big, Bad Wolf from Red Riding Hood is a werewolf, too. It would explain a lot of things. 6. You want to ride Falcor for real? Well, you can! At Bavaria Film Studios in Germany, where the Neverending Story was recorded, you can find the actual prop Falcor used in the movie and you can pose riding on top of him in front of a green screen which, when put on the monitor nearby, shows you and Falcor in the clouds. Models of Morla the giant turtle, Pyornkrachzark the rockbiter, and Gluckuk's racing snail are also on display. 7. The Neverending Story was an actual book, and unfortunately, the author Michael Ende, HATED the movie, since it changed or added things to the story that were supposed to be different in the book, like the fact that Atreyu was supposed to have GREEN SKIN, and the ending with Bastian riding Falcor to scare the bullies was completely added in. 8. That wasn't Atreyu's real voice. What I mean is that Noah Hathaway's real voice. The actor who played Atreyu said that another actor dubbed over his lines, that he had recorded on set, but they used this other actor's voice, instead of his, because Noah's voice was really high-pitched and had no accent that bespoke of fantasy. You can hear Noah Hathaway's actual voice in the Making Of Special released in 1983. 9. The Childlike Empress had to wear fake teeth. Tami Stronach had lost her two front teeth during filming and had to wear dentures. She initially had a lisp while getting used to them. By the time they filmed her second scene, the now adult teeth were now growing in, but she couldn't smile too much and reveal the still-growing teeth, which would have ruined the effect. It unintentionally gave her a more mature feel to her that makes her feel more immortal and ageless. 10. There were two notable scrapped scenes that couldn't be shot, due to technological restraints of the time. The first was to be Falcor the Luck Dragon's first real appearance, with Atreyu saving him from Ygramul the Many, a creature made of many poisonous wasps that take the form of a giant spider. In the original script, this would have been when the story characters heard Bastian's scream and also explains the later scene where the gnomes give them medicine. The second was Atreyu and Falcor encountering Wind Giants, essentially giant people made of clouds. Maybe, one day someone will produce a remake of the Neverending Story more true to the book with these scenes. 11. The German version of the film is different from the US cut that was eventually released everywhere else. The original German version is seven minutes longer, as Stephen Spielberg helped Wolfgang Petersen to cut small parts of the film in various places to make it faster-paced and smoother for American audiences. Petersen gifted the original Auryn to Spielberg as a thank you gift. Additionally, the original German version only has the classical orchestral score by Klaus Doldinger, while the international version has synth and techno-pop elements mixed in with the help of Giorgio Moroder. Also, in the German version, the man with the racing snail had a higher-pitched voice, and after Falcor saves Atreyu, it shows the G'mork in all his glory hunched down in the mud, glaring at the both of them as they fly away.
Como habra sido experimentar la escena de la niña emperatriz en el cine, a oscuras, viendo callado y dentro de la trama .... El escuchar que ha estado viajando junto a Atreyu, viendo y escuchando todo atentamente ... Con esa voz tranquila, casi susurrante de la niña emperatriz .... Hufff siento escalofríos.. como se habrá sentido en el cine .... ahora entiendo porque fue una sensación en su momento
Loved this movie, a movie called Legend (starred Tom Cruise around 1985), Willow, The Dark Crystal, The Secret of Nymph, and my brother and I were always partial to a movie called, "Rad"........ it was about BMX racing and so much fkn fun. My advice..... definitely warch then if can find the. Finding some older movies has seriously been amazing to watch. Brings back tons of memories and reminds me when movies were to make anfmd who sometimes had to wait months for some of these first run movies to make it on television!
RollyPolyOllie You're so cute in these reactions I could have seen you as Bastian in Neverending Story. You're definitely growing on me! Thumbs way up!
I was 7 or 8 when this movie came out in GDR (eastern Germany) in 1987 or 1988. Along with E.T. the extraterrestrian this is one of my most intense childhood cinema movies
"Swamps of sadness lol" 2 minutes later: :( Also the original german cut didnt have that synth music playing during the scene. It was just silence, which makes the scene so much more haunting.
Fun fact: the snail racer was played by Deep Roy, who is dressed like Willy Wonka. Fast forward to 2005 and Deep Roy portrayed literally all the Oompa-Loompas.
This movie can be viewed as a colorful adventure movie for kids, BUT it can also be viewed as a psychological tale on how to conqueror nihilism and finding purpose in a cynical world.
I'm pretty much the only one who read the book beforehand and was disappointed the movie ended at the halfpoint. I'd definitely recommend the novel to readers of weird fantasy. There's some scary dark stuff though like people getting deleted and it's probably no longer fit for elementary students these days.
The Neverending Story is an adaptation of the same name fantasy novel by German author Michael Ende. But the film covers only the half of the book "Die Unendliche Geschichte". The film itself is a German one. The Producer (Bernd Eichinger), the director (Wolfgang Petersen) and most of the film crew who were involved in the filming are Germans. Most of the filming also took place in the German Bavaria Studios, Munich as well as in the Babelsberg Studios near by Berlin. Only the film shootings of the bookstore and Bastian's house took place in Vancouver, Canada. The Aerial film shootings for the dragon flight scenes on the other hand took place in Spain. Since they finally wanted to make a German film again that would also be successful internationally and especially in the USA, they decided to hire US actors for the film. The iconic score composed by Klaus Doldinger were partly adjusted for the US market. By the way: Unfortunately, the author Michael Ende was never happy with this film...
"As a child I would be scarred for life lol" - looks down at my scarred body - Yup. Can confirm...saw it at 5. I even had it on Betamax and watched it on an old TV that clicked when you turned the channel knob. 1989 😱
So this movie kinda rules! So many great moments with a fun score and amazing practical effects! Also, it has one of the saddest death scenes in a children's movie I think I have ever watched. Would have been scarred watching this one as a child. Also, will not be watching part 2.
Thanks for watching! Have a great day! :)
It's a toss-up between this film and "Return to Oz" from 1985 for most messed up (scary/sad) children's movie ever.
The book "the never ending story" is written by the german author Michael Ende, who also wrote "Momo". It is a very loved book in Germany. The german director Wolfgang Petersen, who directed this movie also directed "Das Boot", could you please react to it 🙏 The white dragon Fuchur and the U Boot are still exhibited in the museum of the bavaria film studios in Munich, Germany.
2 and 3 are both quite bad, but 3 has teenage Jack Black as the villain! Still not worth watching, but worth looking up his scenes on UA-cam
Just as you shared in their adventures, we’re sharing your adventure of watching movies, the meta-ness is real.
Each challenge faced in Atreyu's story is a metaphor for the things that keep someone from growing as a person. Considering that this was based on the first half of the novel, you would probably enjoy reading the book. Its author was interested in Anthroposophy, a German offshoot of Theosophy.
I was 8 when this came out and I saw it in theaters.
At 46 I can report that yes, Artex the horse’s death scarred me for life.
It’s been an inside joke for us GenXers for decades. I’m glad young stranger things fans loved “never ending story” song plot - but that shit went deep for some of us who already knew the lyrics and belted along with Dustin on the first watch.
Actually, alot of people get the lyrics wrong, including Kids, Inc. and Most Google searches and these two girls who covered it on UA-cam and many other people covering it on UA-cam, the correct line is "Given in The lines"(Neverending Story book lines), yet alot of people incorrectly say "given in the lies, which makes no sense, cuz there are no lies in the movie, even G'mork speaks only the truth. Kids, Inc. incorrectly sang the line as "given in your eyes" or some shit like that, both incorrect lyrics are dumb, especially since with the next line, the correct lyrics are: "Given in the Lines- Written on The Pages".
Now THOSE are the correct lyrics and make sense! (Given in The lines = given in the book lines), so written on the pages is the perfect follow up. Written on the pages makes no sense as a fallow up to the false lyrics! Given in the lies, written on the pages makes NO SENSE! NEITHER DOES "given in your eyes, written on the pages".
You had ONE JOB, PEOPLE!
@@MrParkerman6
Hahahhaha - SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS!
So many reactors don't get this movie because it's old. It was cool to see someone appreciate the practical effects and actually follow the really unique writing.
Steven Spielberg was given the original Auryn prop by director Wolfgang Petersen as a "thank you" gift for his help with the film! It hangs in a glass display in Steven Spielberg's office!
Despite the number of other interpretations that exist of the symbol, the 1984 design is still the very best Auryn.
Wolfgang is such a cool name
He who wields the Auryn speaks with the voice of the Empress!
Wrong! That isn't why he was given it. Speilberg had NOTHING to do with this film. He didn't work on this film whatsoever.
Actually spielberg helped wolfgang edit the movie, i cant remember if it was just the usa version or the both us and international version.
Saw this as a kid (have it on dvd now), around 6 or 7 years old, and yes probably the same as everyone else that saw it at that age, I bawled when Artax died. It was traumatising. Still when I watch it now, as a grown ass man, I still choke up a bit at that scene. Gets me right in the feels, every time. Love the movie and the soundtrack is awesome 80s goodness
I'm still "traumatised" and teary each time with Artax
I love watching reactions to this movie for an added layer of meta.
Bastian is reading Atreyu's adventure... you're watching Bastian's adventure... and we're watching YOUR adventure. In the end, we're all playing a part in one huge Neverending Story.
Also, I don't recall the exact details, but the film was based on a German book, and as such was a co-production with Germany and filmed on studios there. As such, there's actually a small 'museum' you can visit in Germany about the making of the movie, where you can even get a photo taken riding on Falkor's back. Not gonna lie, it's on my bucket list to go there someday and get that picture.
and somewhere, someone may be watching our story. we can only hope the marvel achieves this level of meta. the potential is there. this was also done well by alan moore in his comic Promethea (not for kids at all).
I have the book! I'm not sure what edition, but it's from the 70s and has the dual-colored print to denote Fantastica (Fantasia) and Bastian's world.
The book is Die unendliche Geschichte (German for The Neverending Story).
Actually, it's a 100% German production ;) They filmed in English for the international release and it's only then that Warner came on board.(too few German films to be proud of so forgive me for insisting😂)
80's movie didn't fuck around. They hit you right in the feels.
Giorgio Moroder is an Italian composer and is the “father of disco.” He’s 82 years old and has worked with everyone from Daft Punk to Donna Summer. His work with synthesizers is legendary. And yes, when that song came on the radio (when I was in Kindergarten in 1985) it really did bop!
He also composed the Cool Tower theme and the Sinking Horse theme (while Klaus Doldinger wrote the Horse-Riding theme).
Moroder did some of his best movie work in '84-'85, with this, his rescoring of "Metropolis", the Top Gun songs, and "Electric Dreams", which hasn't been seen in North America since the days of VHS.
Movies like this and blade runner and anything synthesizer based are why I own a studio full of analog synthesizers as an adult.
The song was a huge hit in the 80s
I have no qualm with Giorgio Moroder, and I like synth music, but I am German and I grew up with the German soundtrack, which is composed by Klaus Doldinger.
Especially his piece for the Ivory Tower is far better in my opion, check out the German soundtrack here: ua-cam.com/video/Kt_aDjNHd9E/v-deo.html
I guess it's a case of "get them young" and what you got used to when watching it first.
I was 10 when this opened in cinemas. And I can assure you, this movie touched an entire generation.
Two sequels were made, but they never meassured up to the original.
Still, today, this movie gets to all my emotions.
And yes, it was on of the most expensive movies of its time. It was a co-production that involved artists and actors from several European countries.
It remains a masterpiece to this day.
the second one was still made really really well. there alot of great shots playing with contrasting shadows and light.
somebody uploaded these behind the scenes on the set and the puppeteers controlling the wolf are mouthing his dialogue all in character as theyre moving him. its really creepy and wonderful to see.
We can call the 2nd movie a not-as-good sequel, but the third one does not deserve that much credit. It is a travesty that should be forgotten and never associated with "The Neverending Story". As far as I'm concerned the only thing of note about that 'film' is that it is one of Jack Black's earliest movie roles.
The third movie okay at best. The switching up the continuity near the end was stupid. Didn't really care for the 2nd one.
Loved the music on this one. I'm 35 and still hate seeing Artex die
One of my favorite movies as a kid. Made my dad take me to see it a million times in the theatre. Also, made him take me to see The Last Unicorn over and over. You should react to that film. It's great.
Yes yes yes! The Last Unicorn is my favorite💚
There's no love like a tree's love.
@@JDMunoz-ct9xn haha, love that part. My favorite line is the Prince "I love whom I love"
My dad took me to Howard the Duck ... over and over again. [At my request. Loved it. I swear we made up half the national box office on it. :P ]
We're strange ones... But, still one of my favorites. Should totally react to that one, too... ;) It's a ... guilty pleasure.
I have both book of The Neverending Story and The Last Unicorn. Absolutely love the last unicorn.
This is a movie that did not do well in the box office but found it's audience when it was released on the home video market. I worked in a video store when it was released and we wound up having to have 5 VHS copies and 3 Beta copies as well as laser disc to satisfy the demand for it. At the time it cost $59. per tape to have a movie on the shelf and all the copies made money for us.
It was the first movie that our family rented in 1985 when we got our first VCR. In fact, I think that my dad bought the VCR at the rental store and rented the movie at the same time. He tried to talk me into renting Raiders of the Lost Ark, but this movie's box art, with a kid flying a hairy creature, appealed more to me.😂
@kennethlee494
Incorrect! It only didn't do so well in Germany.
It cost 27 million to make and only made 25 million in Germany, but it made 100 million in America. Therefore it made 98 million dollars, which is a success! DUH!
I saw this movie in the theater when I was 6 years old. I've watched a couple reactions to it and the Artax scene still gets me every single time. Tears. Rock Biter also.
I saw this movie at the cinema when I was 7 and it completely blew my mind. It was scary, thrilling, moving and the story and the music just a perfect movie experience. A lot of the meta concepts of course went over my head, but this has only made me appreciate the movie even more as I got older. And yes, the Swamps of Sadness scene was completely devastating and Gmork was terrifying. It's just sad that kiddie movies aren't as smart and engaging like this anymore.
G'mork gave me "nightmares"
This movie along with Flight of the Navigator, Willow, Gremlins, E.T., Princess Bride, Gremlins and Labyrinth were on constant rotation with my boys when they were growing up. I had an accident and when I woke up in the hospital the orthopedic surgeon looked like the old man that gives the luck dragon his shot. Freaked me out.
Oh this movie was huge! Saw it in the theater as a kid and it was the most amazing thing I ever saw. And kind of scary.
I was only 10 years old when i first saw this movie in the theaters. When the horse Artex died, for many of us it was our first experience with death on an emotional level. So many 80s kids still think of his death as a traumatic experience.
Bro I’m just like you about the music, classic movies like this from like the 80s and 90s that I watched as a kid as well as see them now, the music when done well will give me chills and I love it. The scores of these older film are amazing.
The bubble dancing! I love it. Such a great soundtrack. And a great film as a metaphor for dealing with grief and depression.
I've always loved the "Fantasia has no boundaries cause it's made from our imagination" speech.
This movie has an unusual style that I realized was because it was filmed in Europe. We were living in Germany at the time this came out, (Army Brat). This film has strong European influences. Very nostalgic for me :D
Ah, this movie is always a breath of fresh air! I too saw it as a kid in the 80's and I still quote it to this day.
The story is indeed very meta-not only are we watching Bastian reading about Atreyu’s adventures, but since you made this video, I am watching you watching Bastian reading about Atreyu’s adventures. You have thus become just as much a character in the larger story as Bastian or Atreyu.
i love how meta this movie was :P glimpsing the reader in the snow storm, and bastien looking up. just so many chills. then entering a cave where there are paintings of your past adventures. then one last painting depicting what you haven't encoutnered yet O_O still scares the crap out of me.
Funny that you said you want to hug Falkor; the dragon was part of the studio tours in Munich and children were allowed to ride on it in front of a blue-screen. I was one of many many children to sit on this thing.
R.I.P. Wolfgang Petersen! 😞
One of my favorite childhood memories. But almost 40 years later, I've never quite recovered from Artax dying.
I'm 42, and I got chills the first time I heard that music too. I still do, right along with you :)
And yes, the death of Artax scarred me and many of my generation for life. At least he returned when Bastian fulfilled his part of the prophecy though :)
This film, along with Willow and Labyrinth, made me a lifelong reader of fantasy novels :)
I love the Neverending story specifically because of, as you say, it being "so sad at times" - it's basically Baby's First Intro to Suicidal Depression and Dangerous Nihilism. It handles some of the heaviest topics that a story can handle with such care and maturity and never talks down to kids, while still teaching them an incredibly important lesson about life and the world. Really a movie with some cojones.
This is a hidden gem of a movie. Awesome music, emotions all over the place. And the final sequence when she says, just as he has been with you, others are watching him,,,😮 . I don't think it hit big but is almost always loved by people who discover it. The horse is Falcore, always a few years seeing that.
Falcore is the Luck Dragon. The horse is Artax.
Thank you for watching. It’s an experience!
My favourite childhood movie. Great memories of this, and yes Artex scarred us all back then. Great soundtrack, story and immensely quotable. There's a hilarious video on UA-cam with the actors who play the bullies reprising their roles years later talking to a psychiatrist about when they were chased down the street by a dragon.
*Artax
No movie made me cry as hard as this one. I was 10 when it came out, and it destroyed me. My father was actually mad that this was a "kid's" movie because he felt it dealt with stuff too dark for kids. It took me going through it in my 30s to understand that the swamp of sadness was actually a metaphor for deep depression. How hard it is to do anything , how the smallest act becomes this mountain to climb and how easy it is to sink deeper and deeper into it. So yeah, as an adult, I can now see what he meant. However, this movie also gave me my love of reading. It gave me permission to always stay goofy and have fun and when someone looks at me funny because I race my godchildren or because I still act like a child when i see BB8 at Comicon, I just look back at them and literally say "I'm saving Fantasia". Amazing movie, and I loved your reaction
The most Meta Commentary in this movie is the fact; that while Bastion is reading the story, we are watching Bastion's story unfold as well. The Neverending story is one we all share in; which hints at the idea even we are being watched, and so on! So the story goes on and on and on! I'm glad you noticed the Luck Dragon's breathing. I didn't at first, but over multiple watches did I noticed it. This is a great movie, and one I showed the kids when they were young as well.
The movies I go back over with the kids were this one, Secret of Nihm, Star Wars Trilogy, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Animalympics, and a this little musical called Bugsy Malone. It's an all-children cast gangster movie; which is a ton of fun. If you can find it; I truly suggest watching it. I have a copy of both Animalympics (which was re-released recently), and Bugsy Malone. Also; the Rankin and Bass versions of The Hobbit and Return of the King from the Lord of the Rings series
I've never seen a children's movie so philosophical in nature. I mean a kid's movie where the enemy is the VOID? Come one! I wish more children's writers and kids movies today gave children more credit for intellectual depth.
How I found this movie:
I follow the Sharpe Family Singers and one day they put out The Neverending Story song as a "Stranger Things Cover".
Then I watched the Stranger Things scene with Dustin and Suzie singing the song.
I loved the song and wondered what the original was like. When searching for the original I then came across a HD Film Tribute with the song and a compilation of shots from the movie.
Because of that, I wanted to see the movie and I ended up watching it 2 times. And all of that happened within about 2 weeks.
You left out one of the best lines in cinema history! “To the winch, wench” 😂and yes, we were all traumatized about the horse🐎
"just as he is sharing your adventures, others are sharing his" giving credence to the audience watching the film :P I LOVE THAT, the first time i saw that, my mom went "Nooooo!" in disbelief. it was magic :P
As part of my job, I got to show this movie to a class of about thirty kids. They loved it. I'm not sure why no one seems to show older movies to kids nowadays. If you loved it as a kid, modern kids will probably love it to.
When I was a kid, my mom used to show me the Shirley Temple movies that she had watched in her childhood, and I really enjoyed them.
There are so many movies already in existence that we could stop making movies for the next thirty years, and still not run out of good things to watch. It's straight-up wasteful to only watch new things.
Side note: I was on a bus a few years ago, and a mom called out to her son, "Atreyu, sit down!" Made me wonder how many kids in the US and Europe are named Atreyu. Or by now, some must be adults.
Another great reaction, Ollie! Of the handful of reaction channels that I follow, yours is now tied with one other as my favorite. Your reactions to some of my all-time favorite titles is a genuine joy to watch and often remind me of why I love them so much, especially if I haven't watched them myself in a long while. The Neverending Story has been one of my all-time favorite movies from childhood and your take-aways from it are so very relatable! Again, another great reaction! I now look forward to your reactions every week! 😉👍
I have NO idea how many times I watched this as a kid. And teen. And adult.
I think most people would love a luck dragon as a friend.
I was 6 when this film came out in theaters and can attest to crying at the loss of Artax and the entire film definitely is etched into my memory really well both for the scary aspects as well as the fantastical. Knowing it was based on a book did make me go and actually read the book later on. And the book is ... intriguing. I don’t know how to really describe it since it feels like a book that’s kind of its own thing. The film only covers the first parts of the book. The second film kinda covers part of the next section of the book, but isn’t as faithful to the book as the first one and the third film which was a direct to VHS film the producers admit they just made up and didn’t bother to even read the book. I don’t mind the second film because it stars Jonathan Brandis who is an actor I enjoyed watching in several films. The third film, however, even Jason James Richter couldn’t save with all of his talent! By the way if you’re interested in a great film Barret Oliver did (he is Bastian in this film) then you should watch D.A.R.Y.L. He was nominated for a Saturn Award for his role in that film and its a film that had me emotional, too. I think he’s also in the Cocoon movies as I think that’s why I wanted to watch them (or maybe it’s a different child actor), but I honestly don’t remember those films very well. I think my parents enjoyed them more than I did (I’m not saying they’re bad, I honestly just don’t remember much about them other than the basic plot). But yeah I’d recommend D.A.R.Y.L. If you wanted to watch Jonathan Brandis (who plays Bastian in the sequel) the films Ladybugs and Sidekicks are probably his most memorable, although he did play Lucas on the tv show SeaQuest DSV (the first season is great, the second season is good if you don’t get bored with “monster of the week” type of sci-fi, and the third season is mixed between good and okay). If you can find the book The Neverending Story and have time to read, I’d recommend it only because it’s definitely a different type of book to read and has the same meta aspects the film does.
Great video and review!
Oh I have a coworker who she and her husband enjoyed the book and films so much that their son is named Atreyu! So the book and/or films have certainly had an impact on lots of folks to varying degrees!
I was a kid in the 80s and watched this movie when it came out. The horse scene destroyed me. But now, as a middle aged man, I actually enjoy peoples reaction to this scene and just laugh my ass off 😂
Ha me too
the elfs wife was later cast as Raizal in Willow :P Also i love that line "to the winch, wench!" gotta work that into a conversation in real life :P
Saw this in the theater when it came out and still watch it to this day. The title song and sound track always are stuck in my head. Also we named our cat Atreyu 😊
I grew up on this movie. It's always been a childhood favorite. Now you should check out Labyrinth, Legend, and Return to Oz.
Imagine seeing this at 5 years old, that horse scene hit hard. And the wolf was really scary 😭
But the soundtrack is so unapologetically 80s synth and I love rocking out to it 😆
Thanks, Oliver! 📖 I was 16 when this one came out... it was very popular. #RolyPolyOllie #WolfgangPetersen #TheNeverendingStory #TheNeverendingStory1984
This was an iconic film from my childhood. The music, the fantasy, the characters ❤I was a major bookworm as a kid so this just elevated the magic of reading to the next level. Because we were little, my parents recorded it from tv and edited out the “scary” parts with the wolf 😅 I have vivid memories of walking into the video store as a kid and seeing the Neverending Story poster with Atreyu and Falcor … whenever I see it now it it’s like going back in time! Great reaction and commentary at the end. Glad you liked it!
Welcome to the world of Fantasia! I find it oddly coincidental that your review comes out now, because after almost 40 years I have an Auryn of my own -- one I made on a 3D printer. I even made a puzzle out of it! It was magic when I first put it together.
Yes! Labyrinth and Return to Oz should be on your list of messed up 80’s kids movies!
and Legend...
Return to Oz is so amazing.
"Puts hand up" - 44 year old here who saw this in the cinema back in '85. I don't know anyone of my age who didn't love it. It hits harder in some ways now as an adult, as you understand the entirely intentional subtext of some of the themes presented, especially in the Swamps of Sadness. But there is much hope there too. If I had kids I'd have no hesitation of showing them this when they were just about old enough to handle it, as there are multiple great messages for young people in this.
The original book by Michael Ende however, is an ENTIRELY different prospect. But I'll not get into that here. Enjoyed your reaction as always. :)
I saw this as a young child. Can confirm, scarred for life.
I especially love the addition of bubbles and an impromptu dance😊 A man after my own heart.
Another score by Giorgio Moroder is form "Midnight Express" another movie you should watch but the score is awesome. When I saw Neverending Story at the theater I was just expecting a little kids movie but was so surprised at the intricate plot and really appreciated how the story proceeded. I was an adult back then so it didn't scare me but I could appreciate how children would experience it.
The idea of the Neverending Story is something along the lines on... Bastian is experiencing Atreyu's story, but also we as an audience are experiencing Bastian's story. And to go a step further, we're experiencing _your_ story as you react to the film...! It's stories all the way down.
I haven't seen this movie since I was about 10 years old, over 30 years ago. I didn't remember the horse drowning, but always remembered those statues that shot lightning bolts out of their eyes.
It was an experience when your a child. I was 7 years old. It was scary, thrilling, sad and exciting. It was amazing time. All the deaths we're very sad, obviously. To see the the Nothing destroy Fantasia was scary. The horse's death was very devastating. It's the part of the movie that stays with me & us!
I was watching this movie on Cinema as a kid with the original Doldinger's OST. Was and is one of my favorite movies up to this moment.
When I was a kid, I thought that Falkor's scales were eggs on his back 🤣 Because of the close up shot
I kept thinking they were bubbles and wanted to pop them like bubble wrap 😂
I thought they were pearls
I recently met the actor Noah Hathaway, who played Atreu. He was also a tattoo artist. I also picked up the extended version which is not available in the U.S.
He also played Harry Potter Jr in the movie Troll 😆
@@leannerose6181 That's true. Have seen it recently.
"Bastian. Why don't you do what you dream, Bastian?"
"But I can't, I have to keep my feet on the ground!"
"Call my name. Bastian, please! Save us!"
"All right! I'll do it! I'll save you! I will do what I dream! ... MOONCHILD!"
Fun Fact: The original Auryn for this film now hangs in an enclosed glass display in Steven Spielberg's office.
Luck Dragon Fact: Falkor is actually a 43-foot long motorized creature with 6,000 plastic scales and pink feather-fur. His head is three feet tall and long and has a long tongue in the mouth. You can "ride" on Falcor's back on location at the Bavaria Filmpark in Munich, Germany.
Authentic Battle Scars Fact: Noah Hathaway was hurt three times during the making of the movie. While learning to ride a horse, his horse threw him off, then stepped on him. While shooting the Swamp Of Sadness drowning sequence, his leg got caught on the elevator and he was pulled under water. He was unconscious by the time he was brought to the surface. Noah Hathaway then almost lost an eye during the fight-scene versus Gmork. One of the claws on his giant paws poked him in the face. The robot was also so heavy that he lost his breath as well when he was hit to the ground by it. They only made one shot due to the risk that he would get seriously wounded. Noah Hathaway now owns and operates a tattoo parlor in Los Angeles, California (as far as I know) with his wife and he loves talking to fans of the movie.
Another dark 80s movie is Return to Oz! It's kind of a sequel to the Wizard of Oz but hella dark, like it BEGINS with Dorothy being taken for shock treatments because she won't shut up about a place called Oz 💀and gets even more wild from there. Cool practical and stop motion effects too!
Awesome! I hope this starts a Jim Henson Sci-fi series! The Dark Crystal (1982), Labyrinth (1986) and Mirror Mask (2005)! The Jim Henson company made a lot of Muppet Movies in between these great sci-fi movies 👍
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid in the 80s. That was such a great time for darker kids' movies with great practical effects. I also suggest Return to Oz, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
It was a modest success in the US (although it was revised and re-edited for the American market) but very successfull worldwide. The budget was around 25 - 27 million Dollars (converted) and it grossed a total of around 100 million Dollars through it's theatrical run.
It was a German / American co-production, filmed in English.
The Falcor puppet can still be seen at the Bavaria Filmstudios in Munich.
Enjoyed the reaction! I saw this film in theaters when I was a kid, and yes, the Artax scene did scar me for life. Now that you've done this film, you should review "Legend" (1985), another great 1980s fantasy film with a synth 1980s score!
With the extended edition! There are scenes that should never be missed! Also, Tim Curry as Darkness is amazing. And Oona has always been my favorite character ever!
It actually had two sequels but most of us try to forget the third one even existed.
Just in case you wanted to know, the name he gives the Childlike Empress is "Moonchild".
"As a child, I'd be scarred for life."
Accurate statement.
I was 20 when I saw it and enjoyed it immensely. Noah Hathaway played Boxy in 1978's Battlestar Galactica.
Been a while since I read the book, but they explain that Atreyu has to leave his weapons because he's acting as an ambassador of sorts for the Empress, and her whole deal is that she doesn't actually need to "rule" over Fantastia per se because she has more of a god sort of role - each and every creature is equally worthy in her eyes, no matter how ugly or beautiful etc. And as they say the Auryn protects anyway (that's why he doesn't succumb to the swamps even when Artax dies). This movie actually ends about halfway through the book, and you get a lot more exploration of the themes of self-worth with Bastian in Fantasia in the second half, more of a satisfying ending than this one.
i saw this in the theater, i love it
Memories grew up with this LOVE it!
12:06 Oh, you laugh now..... just wait. Great video man! Love your work!
The symbolism for the book and movie being the Nothing about how adults feared children were losing Imagination due to television and video games instead of using your own Imagination when reading. In all honesty being an adult now I sort of get where parents could have those worries however I know for my own love of books now compared to when I was a young kid that it can't be forced into someone. My dad was a teacher and always tried to get me to read books like "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and even though I did read it, I just couldn't find the enjoyment in reading because I was being forced to rea. I personally believe there is a point when a person finds themselves ready for the enjoyment of reading due what may be going on. For me it was when I was in grade 12 on a trip to Toronto that I went every March break with my parents for my dad's meetings when all the stuff from the previous years just wouldn't do it for me anymore and I was bored out of my mind. Me and my mom went down to the Eaton Centre and to the Coles Books store and I just wanted something to read and my mom just grabbed a random fantasy novel off the shelf without any knowledge what it was about. It was a Terry Brooks novel "The First King Of Shannara". I read the back and gave it a try and became hooked on reading thanks to that book. I was at a point in my life and why I believe it can't be forced onto someone.
I didn't know that's what the Nothing symbolized. Is that your interpretation, or did you hear that somewhere?
The Ivory Tower theme is amongst some of the most epic music ever composed in my opinion.
Fun Stuff about this Movie:
1. There are many layers to the name of Bastian. First of all, it's a short form of Sebastian. Sebastian means "of Sebaste," which was a city in Asia Minor, and the name Sebaste comes from a word meaning "venerable." Venerable means "accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character." So, Bastian's name is a clue to his narrator status of the Neverending Story, and he's like their god. He's a very noble child and because he believed in himself and continued to dream, he gave the Childlike Empress a new name--his mother's name of Moonchild, which was kind of hard to hear unless you put on the subtitles--and he saved not just her and all of Fantasia, but also himself.
2. The reason the Golden Sphinxes didn't destroy the horse the knight rode on was because the horse was innocent. The horse wasn't the one challenging the sphinxes' power. The knight was and he got what he deserved for being a pompous, arrogant jerk.
3. The fear you see in Artax's eyes when he's sinking is real. The horse, of course, doesn't understand what's going on and is rightfully afraid. In its own mind, he really was going to die.
4. The voice of Morla I think is perfect, it's so old and ancient sounding, that it's very hard to tell if it is a male or female turtle. Fascinating choice of casting for the voice actor.
5. I'm pretty sure, given the fact that this was Fantasia, I don't think G'mork was a regular wolf. He could talk, so therefore, a werewolf. Pretty sure that also means the Big, Bad Wolf from Red Riding Hood is a werewolf, too. It would explain a lot of things.
6. You want to ride Falcor for real? Well, you can! At Bavaria Film Studios in Germany, where the Neverending Story was recorded, you can find the actual prop Falcor used in the movie and you can pose riding on top of him in front of a green screen which, when put on the monitor nearby, shows you and Falcor in the clouds. Models of Morla the giant turtle, Pyornkrachzark the rockbiter, and Gluckuk's racing snail are also on display.
7. The Neverending Story was an actual book, and unfortunately, the author Michael Ende, HATED the movie, since it changed or added things to the story that were supposed to be different in the book, like the fact that Atreyu was supposed to have GREEN SKIN, and the ending with Bastian riding Falcor to scare the bullies was completely added in.
8. That wasn't Atreyu's real voice. What I mean is that Noah Hathaway's real voice. The actor who played Atreyu said that another actor dubbed over his lines, that he had recorded on set, but they used this other actor's voice, instead of his, because Noah's voice was really high-pitched and had no accent that bespoke of fantasy. You can hear Noah Hathaway's actual voice in the Making Of Special released in 1983.
9. The Childlike Empress had to wear fake teeth. Tami Stronach had lost her two front teeth during filming and had to wear dentures. She initially had a lisp while getting used to them. By the time they filmed her second scene, the now adult teeth were now growing in, but she couldn't smile too much and reveal the still-growing teeth, which would have ruined the effect. It unintentionally gave her a more mature feel to her that makes her feel more immortal and ageless.
10. There were two notable scrapped scenes that couldn't be shot, due to technological restraints of the time. The first was to be Falcor the Luck Dragon's first real appearance, with Atreyu saving him from Ygramul the Many, a creature made of many poisonous wasps that take the form of a giant spider. In the original script, this would have been when the story characters heard Bastian's scream and also explains the later scene where the gnomes give them medicine. The second was Atreyu and Falcor encountering Wind Giants, essentially giant people made of clouds. Maybe, one day someone will produce a remake of the Neverending Story more true to the book with these scenes.
11. The German version of the film is different from the US cut that was eventually released everywhere else. The original German version is seven minutes longer, as Stephen Spielberg helped Wolfgang Petersen to cut small parts of the film in various places to make it faster-paced and smoother for American audiences. Petersen gifted the original Auryn to Spielberg as a thank you gift. Additionally, the original German version only has the classical orchestral score by Klaus Doldinger, while the international version has synth and techno-pop elements mixed in with the help of Giorgio Moroder. Also, in the German version, the man with the racing snail had a higher-pitched voice, and after Falcor saves Atreyu, it shows the G'mork in all his glory hunched down in the mud, glaring at the both of them as they fly away.
Como habra sido experimentar la escena de la niña emperatriz en el cine, a oscuras, viendo callado y dentro de la trama .... El escuchar que ha estado viajando junto a Atreyu, viendo y escuchando todo atentamente ... Con esa voz tranquila, casi susurrante de la niña emperatriz .... Hufff siento escalofríos.. como se habrá sentido en el cine .... ahora entiendo porque fue una sensación en su momento
Disappointed you werent breaking the forth wall at the end of the reaction and riding Falcor. Lets go baby!!!
Loved this movie, a movie called Legend (starred Tom Cruise around 1985), Willow, The Dark Crystal, The Secret of Nymph, and my brother and I were always partial to a movie called, "Rad"........ it was about BMX racing and so much fkn fun. My advice..... definitely warch then if can find the. Finding some older movies has seriously been amazing to watch. Brings back tons of memories and reminds me when movies were to make anfmd who sometimes had to wait months for some of these first run movies to make it on television!
RollyPolyOllie You're so cute in these reactions I could have seen you as Bastian in Neverending Story. You're definitely growing on me! Thumbs way up!
8:22 I’m glad you got to hear this score. The re-dub just doesn’t do the ivory tower justice.
I was 7 or 8 when this movie came out in GDR (eastern Germany) in 1987 or 1988. Along with E.T. the extraterrestrian this is one of my most intense childhood cinema movies
"Swamps of sadness lol"
2 minutes later: :(
Also the original german cut didnt have that synth music playing during the scene. It was just silence, which makes the scene so much more haunting.
Bastian reading the book is form of narration in the book. The movie ends at 1/3 of the book. R.I.P. Wolfgang Petersen.
Return to Oz is definitely in the same vein
Noah Hathaway played an even younger character than Atrayu called Boxey on the original Battlestar Galactica from 1978
I have a whole song to the tune of the Neverending story song. It’s called The Neverending Housework!
Fun fact: the snail racer was played by Deep Roy, who is dressed like Willy Wonka. Fast forward to 2005 and Deep Roy portrayed literally all the Oompa-Loompas.
This movie can be viewed as a colorful adventure movie for kids, BUT it can also be viewed as a psychological tale on how to conqueror nihilism and finding purpose in a cynical world.
I'm pretty much the only one who read the book beforehand and was disappointed the movie ended at the halfpoint.
I'd definitely recommend the novel to readers of weird fantasy.
There's some scary dark stuff though like people getting deleted and it's probably no longer fit for elementary students these days.
25:42 *YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!*
Best kids movie moments ever.
The older couple in the movie. The wife is the same actress who played Fin Raziel In Willow 😉
Did you know the wife of the scientist is the same woman who played Razel from WILLOW?
Yes, everyone who watched this as a child is scarred for life. It'll always be too soon.
Another couple of 80s' fantasies which I think you'll like are Time Bandits and Mio in the Land of Faraway.
Oh yeah, Time Bandits is a weird one.
Yay! I am so glad you watched this. Great reaction! This is one of my favorite movies from the 80's.
The Neverending Story is an adaptation of the same name fantasy novel by German author Michael Ende. But the film covers only the half of the book "Die Unendliche Geschichte". The film itself is a German one. The Producer (Bernd Eichinger), the director (Wolfgang Petersen) and most of the film crew who were involved in the filming are Germans. Most of the filming also took place in the German Bavaria Studios, Munich as well as in the Babelsberg Studios near by Berlin. Only the film shootings of the bookstore and Bastian's house took place in Vancouver, Canada. The Aerial film shootings for the dragon flight scenes on the other hand took place in Spain. Since they finally wanted to make a German film again that would also be successful internationally and especially in the USA, they decided to hire US actors for the film. The iconic score composed by Klaus Doldinger were partly adjusted for the US market. By the way: Unfortunately, the author Michael Ende was never happy with this film...
I loved watching you relive my childhood trauma and exciting chills.
"As a child I would be scarred for life lol"
- looks down at my scarred body - Yup. Can confirm...saw it at 5. I even had it on Betamax and watched it on an old TV that clicked when you turned the channel knob. 1989 😱